


Child of the Forest

by FollowTheLight (TaleFairy), TaleFairy



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Multi, Other, Post-Canon, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21844174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleFairy/pseuds/FollowTheLight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleFairy/pseuds/TaleFairy
Summary: After the war, there was peace.There was freedom.But there was also death, destruction, fear.The vampires were foolish, selfish, savages with no cause. But what they didn't realise, is that the war also affected other supernatural creatures, like the witches.Annabelle Woods was just a normal teenager when the war started, she didn't knew she was a Child of the Forest, she didn't knew she was a important, she was royalty, that she IS royalty. And now that the war is over, all she wants is to go back home, back to her friends, her family, her life. She just wants to forget everything she knows now, everything they told her. She wants to be normal.Well, that's until she meets him.
Relationships: Alec (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s), Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Jacob Black/Renesmee Cullen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, Twilight FanFiction, Twilight FanFiction Collection, Twilight Fanfiction





	1. New

_Have you ever felt like your entire world is breaking down? Crumbling, right beneath you? And that everything you once thought you knew, is actually fake?_

_Well, that's how I'm feeling now. And it sucks._

_It was all normal before the war, before the pain, the change. Before this whole new world._

_I don't like this world._

_But, I don't want to start this off being rude, so, let's start over, shall we?_

_My name is Annabelle Woods, I'm 17 years-old, and I'm a Child of the Forest._

_Just a fancy name to describe a witch._

~~_So, yeah, I'm a witch. And a very powerful one, if you must know._ ~~

_So, yeah, I'm a witch, and it absolutely sucks._

_But, above being a witch, I'm also a teenager, which means that I have to go to school._

_I attend West High School, located in Lafayette, Indiana. But, recently, after discovering that I'm a witch, my crazy aunt forced me to move to Italy with her for a whole month, because we had some "serious bussiness" there._

_To make a long story short: I'm, apparently, a descendent of Wylla Woods, a very powerful witch who lived like a hundred years ago, and she was the one responsible for keeping the peace between all supernatural creatures, later being crowned as some sort of "Queen" of witches. It's a very long and boring story, so I'm not gonna explain it now._

_The thing is, a couple of years before my aunt forced me to move, the world's most powerful race (in terms of physical strenght), declared war against their Leaders, the Volturi._

_Yes, I'm talking about Vampires, something that I didn't even know existed, but, apparently, they do, and they're very powerful and have very complicated power dynamics._

_Therefore, if vampires are in a war, then the whole magical world is at war, because we're all affected by them, in one way or the other. So it was up to me, the quiet nobody Indiana, to move to Italy and talk to Stefan, the current representative of the Vampires. He's from Romania, but is currently living in Italy, the "centre" of the Vampire World._

_So, yes, we're at peace with them again, and this was just a waste of my precious time, since I didn't get to talk to him, because my aunt decided it was "too dangerous", but, apparently, it wasn't dangerous to officially introduce me to the Witch world, and it was, by far, the best party I've ever been invited to._

_Okay, that was the only good part of this boring trip._

_Now, finally, I've returned home, with new clothes (of course I had to shop, I was in ITALY), new books ("Learning Magic - A Guide for Baby Witches"), new powers (I'm not even gonna mention them, too long of a list and my wrist is tired), and, the best part, a new tattoo._

_I had to make a feather tattoo on my collarbone, a symbol of my magical family, and, being "only" seventeen, my father freaked out that my aunt allowed me to get a tattoo, but I don't care, I really like it._

_As about my mother, she doesn't really care about me that much. She's a model, and she doesn't have a single drop of magic in her blood, maybe because she doesn't care about magic either. As about my sister, my aunt says that she's probably a witch too, but she won't know until my little sister hits her 10th birthday. She's now 5, so we have some time left._

_\- End of Diary Entry -_

I was surprised when I woke up this morning, because I not only woke up 10 minutes before my alarm, but I also woke up with a very strange feeling, like I _had_ to go to school, which was completely weird.

After a long hot shower, I was finally ready to start my day. One of the many things that I'm now capable of doing is controling the elements. Water, fire, earth, air; I can actually _control_ them, although they don't seem to be too fond of me, since every time my anger starts to rise something, somewhere decides to explode.

I get dressed as calmly as my body allows me to, and place my cheerleader uniform in my backpack, mindful of today's practice and not wanting our coach to yell at me again. Last time someone yelled at me, I almost flooded the house.

I start thinking about how, not even two years ago, I was the newbee in the squad, then rose to co-captain when the team picked up on my commitment and ability, and finally, FINALLY, became the thing I always wanted to be: captain.

I just love to dance, and love to teach people to dance, seeing the effect our movements have on the team and the school really fills my heart with joy, there's absolutely nothing like it. That's actually one of the best things about being home again, I can finally go back to my practices and duties as a Captain, and Lindsay, my co-captain, told me that there are a lot of girls waiting for me to come back to school, so they can have their tryouts to enter the Squad.

As soon as I finish, I rush downstairs, smiling as I see that my aunt Clarisse and my sister Erika are the only ones awake.

"Good Morning, my dearest-sss." I say, kissing Erika's forehead before turning to Clarisse, who's reading a magazine on the table while she fries some bacon with her magic. I sigh. "Clare!" I warn her, glancing at Erika, quietly drawing.

She rolls her eyes. "Fine." She says, putting the magazine down and finishing the bacon herself.

Normal witches, like Clarisse, only get to have control over one aspect of life. It can be Fire, Earth, Water or Air, or even people. Clarisse's power is Fire. She can create flames, control them, and talk to salamanders, the commanders of Fire. Unfortunately for her, she's not allowed to use magic here, especially not in front of my sister, because I do want Erika to grow up like a normal child, and normal children don't need to know all about the magical world, outside of fiction.

As Clarisse finally finishes the bacon, she places it on a plate and hands it to me. I look at it and smile, she made a smiley face with the bacon and eggs, like she used to do when I was younger. "Thanks, Clare." I smile, starting to eat.

"So, want me to drive you?" She asks and I shake my head. 

"No, thanks. I'll take the motorcycle." I say, smiling. 

When I finally turned 16, my father gave me a red motorcycle, and I could finally take my license. I didn't even wait 3 weeks, I wanted to take it before classes started, and that's what I did.

I love my motorcycle, I feel so free when I'm driving it. The wind, the adrenaline, it's all so fantastic.   
  
I quickly finish my breakfast and brush my teeth, helping Erika to get dressed before going back to the kitchen. Clarisse smiles at me. "Beware today." She says before kissing my forehead. I nod. 

"I will, I promise." I say, rushing to the garage.

It takes about 10 minutes to arrive at school with my motorcycle, which is good, because I couldn't wait to see everyone again.

As soon as I park, I put my headphones on, knowing the whole Squad would probably be on the field, and that's where I go. 

Lindsay is the first one to spot me, she smiles widely before running to my arms. 

"You're back!" She yells, attracting some glances from people. They wave at me, and I smile awkwardly, being on the spotlight was never something I enjoyed, because that means that people need me, and I don't want to let them down. 

The first classes were completely boring, but luckily I had Kyle, Lindsay, Tamara and Bryan to spend time with, which made things much easier to bare.

Before we arrive at the Cafeteria, I see Lindsay applying some lipgloss and I frown. 

"Why are you doing this?" I ask her, chuckling. "We're going to eat soon, there's no point." I roll my eyes. But, as soon as I look around, I notice that Lindsay isn't the only one doing that. Other girls, from different ages and academic years, are also doing the same, which kind of freaks me out, they could've just applied at home like I do, it's so much more practical.

"It's because of the Cullen's." Kyle says and I raise an eyebrow. 

"The who?" I ask. 

He smiles widely. "You'll see." He says and I roll my eyes again, entering the Cafeteria with them. 

As soon as we come in, we go to our usual table, in the middle of the Cafeteria, and a lot of people take advantage of that to talk to me. Of course, I reply politely, saying that my short vacation was amazing.

When I sit down, I look around the place, smiling at some people. But then, I spot something different, something new.

New people.

And I suddenly understand why all the fuss of looking pretty.

They're nine. Sitting together on a "private", tucked away table, all talking low, not making eye-contact with anyone else. I roll my eyes at them, sighing loud. "So that's why you were freaking out about the lipgloss?" I chuckle. 

Lindsay looks offended. "What? Don't you think they're, like, the most beautiful creatures you've ever seen in your entire life?!" She asks, whispering. 

_Yes._ I think, but I don't dare saying it out loud. Something about them kind of freaks me out. "They're just new students." I shrug. 

"Okay, do you want a full report?" Lindsay asks and I sigh. 

"No, but you're still going to tell me all about them, right?" I chuckle, shaking my head. 

"Yes!" She smiles and I let out a low laugh. "So, let's start by the youngest of them. The one with the long brown hair and brown eyes? Her name is Renesmee, she's in our grade. She also wants to join our squad, and everyone seems to like her, but I don't think her family allows her to talk to people." She says, glancing at the sweet girl who's eating a cupcake. I nod quickly, already getting bored. Why do I have to hear this whole bullshit about new people? They're _just_ people. "And the couple next to her, the girl with medium brown hair and the guy with bronze hair, they're Edward and Isabella. They're totally a couple, and they're kind of cute, if you think about it. The other couple, with the blonde guy and the girl who looks like Snow White, they're Jasper and Alice, they're obviously in love, and it's kind of gross. Now, there's Rosalie, the stunning blonde, and Emmett, the strong brunette, I don't know much about them. And, to finish, we have Jane, the small girl, and Alec, the tallest one. They're all new in town, and they come from Washington, I think, somewhere else really rainy. They're the step children of Doctor Carlisle Cullen, your aunt will probably work with him." She finishes and I nod.

"Now why did I need to know that?" I ask, sighing. 

"It's kinda creepy, isn't it? They're all dating and stuff." Kyle says. 

"They're step brothers, it's not illegal." I say. 

"Well, not all of them. Rosalie and Jasper are actual sibilings, so are Jane and Alec." Lindsay says. 

"Which means." Kyle smirks. "That Mr. Alec Cullen is single." He says and I roll my eyes.

"And probably straight, Ky." I laugh. 

"How do you know that?" He asks offended. 

"Well, I don't know, but... He doesn't look like he's gay." I shrug, digging myself a grave but knowing he understands my humour.

"Offensive." Kyle pouts. 

"You know what I mean." I roll my eyes. "Well, enough is enough, can we all please end this conversation, because our break will end and you guys have to eat." I say, pulling a book out of my backpack.

"You're not eating?" Kyle raises an eyebrow and I shake my head. 

"I'm not hungry." I lie, even though I can feel my stomach complaining.

As they rush to the line, I glance at the Cullen's again, and I feel this strange urge of running away, even though I don't know why. Suddenly, one of them, Alec, looks at me, and I can't help but blush and bury my head in the book.

What's wrong with me? 

But, most important:

What's wrong with _them?_


	2. Cheer, bitch.

"Five, Six, Seven, Eight!" I yell, trying to make the girls and boys cooperate. 

It's been exactly a month since I left, but, now that I'm back, I couldn't feel better. Dancing, Cheerleading, it's just so good.

After they finish the jumps and the difficult part of the trials, I talk to Lindsay, Kyle and 5 other members, so we can practice the Championship Dance, that we'll present next week to the school, before the game against another school. It's semi-finals, so, big fucking deal.

Since two of our Jumpers will be travelling, we needed to create a whole new dance to present on game day, and, personally, I think the result is pretty good. 

Before practice, I changed into my practice outfit, and I tried to ignore the comments of the boys, rolling my eyes and sending little shocks through their bodies as revenge. Nothing that would harm them, of course.

I feel like my brain is going to explode if I hear another wolf whistle, and I can almost feel the flames ready to fly out of my hands as I walk close to those idiots. 

"Now you hear me, sweethearts, if you don't shut the fuck up, I swear to all the Gods that I'll punch you so hard that your _teeth_ will bleed. Do you fucking hear me or I need to draw?!" I tell them and they nod, quickly becoming quiet.

I hear someone laughing and look up, spotting Emmett, one of the Cullen's, with a slight smirk on his face. I blush, realizing I should be practising, and run back to the girls. 

"And one, two, three and..." I count, turning on the music as we start.

It wasn't a long practice, considering we still needed to watch the auditions of 10 other girls.

I smile as the whole team sits on the grass, then wave at Renesmee, who's sitting with her family in the bleachers. They seemed to be watching the practice like they actually cared. But I knew they were only there to support the little girl.

Before I start talking, I see Lindsay getting up, positioning herself on my side. "You have to accept her." She tells me and I frown.

"Who?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"You know who! Renesmee Cullen! Think about the possibilities, I mean, look at them, look at her family! They're so freaking hot, you need to accept her!" She says, almost begging in front of me. 

I roll my eyes. "I can't actually believe that you're asking me to accept the girl only because you have a little crush on Edward. C'mon, Lindsay, I don't even know if she can dance! And I want what's best for the team, therefore, all the girls will have the same chance, and if she's good enough, then she'll be in. End of discussion." I tell her and she nods, crossing her arms as she sits again.

I turn to face the girls, looking at Renesmee for a couple of minutes. She's beautiful, indeed, and tall, which is good. She seems to be pretty agile, and she definitely has the smile of a Cheerleader. 

"Well, you're all here because you want to be in our Team." I start. "Unfortunately, there are only 2 spots, which means that you guys will have to _bring_ it, and I mean it. Our Team is based on friendship, yes. But also in talent, so if you don't know how to dance, and you're only here for 'popularity', I advise you to go now." I say, crossing my arms as I face the girls. One of them, a beautiful blonde, gets up and goes away. "Great, that makes nine of you. Now, the first one, Amelia Gustav."

I was getting bored. Amelia, Brianne, Caroline, Juliane, Kyra, Louise and Jennifer were nothing but a waste of my time. All of them had the beautiful face and body of a cheerleader, but I couldn't feel anything but arrogance coming from her souls. As about Lilith, she was pretty good but really shy, which wasn't something we couldn't solve. I marked her name with a 'maybe', before calling the next girl. "Renesmee Cullen." I say, and smile as the sweet girl comes in front of me. "What are you going to dance today?" I ask her. 

"Firework, by Katy Perry." She says before the music starts playing. I smile and nod, but frown at Lindsay at the very... old song choice, I mean, Perry isn't even in the same genre anymore.

I watch her closely, realizing she's great. Not only beautiful, not only sweet, but talented. Really talented. Apparently, I'm not the only one that noticed that, because Lindsay keeps her eyes on me during Renesmee's entire performance, wanting to know my opinion, but I remain neutral. 

"Thank you, Renesmee." I say, getting up. "Well, girls. I guess my decision is obvious." I start, and Lindsay gives me two cheerleading uniforms. "Please, step forward: Lilith Cameron and Renesmee Cullen." 

Renesmee starts jumping, rushing to me, her arms wrapping around my body. "Thank you so, so, so, so, so much!" She says and I chuckle.

"Don't thank me, you deserved it. Both of you." I tell her and Lilith as I give them the uniform. "Our practices are 3 times a week after class, and if you need any extra practice, please, call me. You can come to my house, or I can go to yours, okay?" I ask and they nod. "Well then, I guess we should all go back home now, I don't know about you girls, but I'm starving."

Almost an hour later and I was still at school. The reason? My aunt told me she was coming to talk to the principal because they need to reschedule all the tests I've missed. 

It was quite boring waiting for her, because I knew that, once she said she would be here in 10 minutes, that could mean 45 to 80 minutes.

I sit on the grass, looking up as I hear someone laughing, and I smile as I see Renesmee and her family. I quickly get up, waving shyly at them and hugging Renesmee. I don't know why, but there's still something about them that creeps me out, like a lot.

"Hey! Why are you still here? Need a ride?" Renesmee asks me, her eyes sparkling. I shake my head.

"No, not actually. My aunt is coming to reschedule the tests I've missed while we were away." I chuckle.

"Oh, right! You took a vacation, huh? Was it good?" She asks, looking back to her family. Isabella, the one who's apparently happily dating Edward, nods slowly, and I presume that she gave Renesmee permission to talk to me. 

"Il miglior viaggio che abbia mai fatto." I answer in Italian, blushing as I see the Cullen's eyes falling over me, I curse myself and pray I didn't sound too pretentious.

"You travelled to Italy?" Renesmee asks excited and I nod quickly. 

"Yes, such a beautiful country. Everything is so good, the people, the food, the fashion. I'm actually half-Italian, my father came to the US to work, then he met my mother and, well, they fell in love." I explain and she smiles.

"So romantic!" She says and I chuckle.

"Yeah, sometimes love is good to people." I answer, shaking my head as I look to the ground, wishing I hadn't said that. 

"I'm sure you'll fall in love soon." She says, resting her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, no, no. I don't think love is a good thing for me..." I say and blush. Dammit, now I need to fix it. "I'm not exactly good with people." I complete and she nods.

"You seemed pretty good today during practice, I think those boys will never say anything again." 

"Well, they were douche nuggets." I'm the lamest person ever, huh? "It's really difficult to find someone decent today, don't you think?" I ask chuckling, happy that I changed the subject. "Oh, I almost forget!" I smile, taking a red envelope from my backpack. "Every month me, Lindsay and a couple more girls have a sleepover, and this month it's my turn to host it! I really want you to go, you know, so we can all get to know each other better. And I thought it would be a good thing since you don't talk to a lot of girls, I mean, is okay if you're shy and all..." I chuckle nervously, but she nods.

"Actually I'm not, I just suck at socializing." She says with a loud chuckle and I follow her. "It would be great! I'll ask my parents and I give you an answer tomorrow, okay?" She asks before someone cough loud, Rosalie (the blonde stunning girl). "Oh, I have to go, goodbye, Annabelle."

I sit back on the grass as I watch them leave. Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, Edward and Renesmee leaving in one car, while Alice, Jasper, Jane and Alec run to another.

I bite my lip, something's definitely wrong with this family. I can't avoid this feeling of running away, of hiding or screaming for help. It's like my body, my mind, they know what's wrong, but they don't want to tell me. 

Before they can leave, I feel deep golden eyes burning my skin, and I look up.

Alec Cullen was looking at me.


	3. Starbucks

"Annabelle! You're going to be late!" Is the first thing I hear as I open my eyes, searching for my cellphone, which is still connected to the charger, and then I look at the hour.

"Oh, fuck." I whisper to myself as I get up, wrapping my white and pink robe around me and rushing downstairs, taking a plate of bacon and eggs, a knife and a fork, kissing my sister's forehead and then rushing upstairs again. 

I leave the plate on my bedside table before grabbing a towel and rushing to the shower. After a couple of minutes, I finally finish and rush back to my room, not bothering drying myself with the towels and simply creating a massive breath of air, it rushing through my body as I start fighting with my hair, the wardrobe opening quickly and the clothes rushing out of it. 

Clarisse rushes into my room and I gasp. "Get out!" I yell and she rolls her eyes.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing there that I haven't seen before." She winks at me and I blush, covering myself with my towel as I search for some lingerie. Some of my clothes start flying around the room, and I smile as I see some I like. "Magic really helps, huh?" Clarisse asks me and I nod, taking the clothes and quickly dressing up. 

I realize that fighting with my hair will take too much time, so I just hold him up in a ponytail, sighing as I hear my cellphone. I levitate it to my hand. It's a text from Lindsay.

_"Three first classes are free periods! Quick practice, yes? I'll meet you in the dance room!  
See ya, Lindy xx" _

I smile as I read it, seeing that I don't need to be in such a rush anymore. "What's it?" Clarisse asks me and I look at her, realizing she's still on my room. 

"The first period is free." I tell her, calmly sitting on my bed and eating my breakfast. I check up to see if I have everything on my backpack, putting my wallet in it because I'll probably stop at Starbucks on my way to school. 

"Great, so you'll have time to fix this mess." She says and leaves my room. I roll my eyes, snapping my fingers and sending the clothes back to the wardrobe. As I finish my breakfast, I walk to the bathroom, applying some makeup under my dark circles, and brushing my teeth. 

Last night, we had a little visit here, and by little visit, I mean Craig Hemmingway, one of the most important wizards in our community. He said he came up to say hello, but I know he wanted to keep an eye on his 'Queen', to see how I was doing and if I hadn't messed up everything yet.

The fact is, Craig stayed until 3 am, making me questions about my powers and how they're evolving. I politely answered his questions, but when I went to bed it was almost 4 am, and I didn't even have time to put my pyjamas on.

Because of that, I woke up in a pool of my own drool (well, that's very common, actually), and with enormous dark circles under my poor eyes. 

As I look back at the plate of food and sigh, glancing at the mirror. God, I look like a pig. 

I shake my head and close the bathroom door, turning the water on and kneeling in front of the toilet. 

It's not the first time I do this, definitely, and it seems easier every time I do it. As soon as I finish, I get up, brush my teeth again and send a white pill (almighty antidepressant) down my throat, then rush downstairs, not even bothering looking back as I yell a 'Goodbye' to Clarisse and take my motorcycle.

Starbucks coffees are probably the only thing I can actually drink without thinking about throwing it all up. I've always heard that coffee is not even close to being so caloric as the other drinks, especially the ones that add too much sugar, like chocolate milk or anything. So, when I finally leave the store with my S'mores frappuccino blended coffee, telling myself that it is coffee therefore it is allowed, I can't help but smile.

As I rest my back on the motorcycle, I see a couple of people that I know rushing to school like they think they're late, and I smile as I think about my three free period classes. Oh, dear Lord, is there something better than that?

When I arrive at school, I take my coffee (that is still intact), park the motorcycle and rush to the dancing room, rolling my eyes as I see there's no one there yet. I open my backpack to put my keys on it and find some chocolate pie that Clarisse put there for me. Even though it is my favourite, my stomach rolls at the vision, and I can't help but think about the calories that the pie must contain. I shake my head and look at the large mirror on the room, I have to stop eating, I have to. The cheerleader captain cannot be fat, or they'll kick me off the team, and, right now, the team is the best normal thing I have.

I take off my jacket and place the Frappuccino on the table, close to my backpack and my jacket, then I turn on some classical music, stretching a little before starting to move.

I've been a ballet dancer ever since I can remember. My father says that my mother insisted on signing me to have Ballet Classes when I was only 3-years-old. If there's anything that my mother ever did that I'm most grateful for, it's definitely those classes.

My feet stop following the music as I hear claps coming from the door. I turn the music off and turn around to face Renesmee and her family. Gods, don't they have better things to do than following her around?

My cheeks burn as my gaze meets Alec's, and I turn my eyes to Renesmee, who smiles lightly. "I didn't know you danced Ballet." She says and I nod.

"Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Street Dance, Tango, Waltz, and Classic Ballroom Dancing." I say and her eyes go wide.

"Like in that old movie... Pride... Pride..." She says, struggling to remember.

I chuckle. "Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Published in 1813." I say, nodding. "It's my favourite novel." I tell her, smiling.

"Oh, that's so cute!" She says and I roll my eyes playfully. 

"You really like that word, don't you?" I ask and she nods quickly, making me laugh. "So, you called me and Lindsay here?" I ask as her family enters the room, sitting on the chairs close to the opposite wall. 

"Yes! I was thinking you guys could help me with the cheer part, I know the steps but the whole cheering thing is still difficult." She says and I nod, understanding.

"It can be complicated if it's the first time you try, I mean, who likes smiling all the time? It gets boring after a while." I say and wink at her. "We can wait for Lindsay, she'll be here in 5 or 10 minutes, then we'll try together, okay?" 

She smiles and nods quickly, sitting on the ground next to me and taking something off her backpack. Dunkin' Doughnuts. "Do you want one? I bought on my way to school." She smiles as she offers me one. I clench my jaw. One of them has 370 calories, which means that if I eat even one I would either have to throw up or spend 97 minutes walking or maybe 50 minutes cycling. Minutes that I could spend practising. I shake my head.

"No, thanks. I've already eaten today." I smile as she shoves one doughnut down her throat. Damn, that looks good. And I love Dunkin' Doughnuts, they're the best. I close my eyes, trying to avoid the temptation as I get up and turn the music on again. Mozart, yes, that should distract me. I take my backpack, searching for my pointe shoes and quickly changing to them. "Do you mind if I practice?" I ask her and she shakes her head.

"Go ahead, you're great. I love the dress, by the way." She smiles and I blush slightly. 

"Oh, thanks. It was my mother's." I say as I start to dance, almost feeling the frappuccino calories burning up.

After almost 10 minutes, Lindsay rushes into the room, her hair in a messy bun and her dress shorter than the usual. I shake my head, she's either doing this because of Edward or Alec, and honestly, I don't think either of them are good enough for her. "Sorry, I'm late. My mother's car broke and I had to take a ride with my idiot sister." She rolls her eyes and I chuckle. Her sister is 21, she's in college and leaves early, that's why Lindsay wants to take her license so bad, so she doesn't have to count on her sister.

"It's okay, I got distracted with Annabelle's beautiful dancing." Renesmee says. "Doughnut?" I don't even need to look to see the smile on Lindsay's face as she grabs a doughnut. Lindsay has the same problem that my Doctor says I have, Fast Metabolism, which means your body burns food really fast and you don't get too fat. I doubt that, I'm practically a cow. 

"Please, call me Belle." I smile at Renesmee, who nods.

"And call me Lindy. Or Princess, whatever." She winks and I laugh. "No, wait, that's you Belle." I roll my eyes. 

"Yes, Princess of Idiots." I say, chuckling at her. 

Renesmee smiles widely as she gets up. "And you guys can call me Nessie." She says and I hear someone sighing loud, I look behind me to see it's Isabella, Renesmee's sister. 

"Nessie? Like the Lock Ness Monster?" I ask with an eyebrow raised. "You really don't care?" 

"Nope. It's a childhood nickname." She shrug. "I started to like it, with time." She smiles.

"It means you're mysterious and dangerous." I point and she nods.

"Yes, I guess that's a way to put it." She chukles. 

"So, Lindy, Rene-" I cut myself. "Nessie needs help with the main cheers, that's why we were waiting for you." I tell her and she nods, taking her backpack off her back and rushing to the mirror. I help Nessie up and Lindy walks to my side. "We'll do it once and you try to repeat it, any doubt, please ask."

I start the basic cheer choreography, and Lindy follows me. Once we stop, Nessie smiles as she starts reproducing. I nod as I watch her closely, chuckling lightly as she mistakes a step, but starts all over again.

Five minutes later, Nessie seems to have learned the whole cheer really well, and I congratulate her. "That was amazing! See, you're great, you shouldn't doubt yourself so much." I say, playfully punching her arm. She nods with a light blush on her cheeks.

"Thanks, you guys are great." She smiles and I nod. 

"We know." I wink at her, hearing Lindsay's chuckle from across the room. "So, you have anything to do or we can stay here being lazy teens?" I ask her.

"No, staying here sounds great." She smiles and I nod, taking my cellphone. "Missing someone?" She asks.

"Just want to tell Kyle we're here, and ask him to bring me more coffee." I say as I shake my empty cup. 

"You'll stay awake until next week if you keep drinking like that." Nessie says and I laugh.

"Who needs to sleep?" I wink at her and start dialling Kyle's number.

_"Hello?" A breathless voice answer and I roll my eyes._

"Hey, there, Idiot. Where are you?" 

_"Huh... Oh, God." He moans and I chuckle. "Can't really talk now, Belle."_

"Kyle Christopher McCall, stop making out with James in the Janitor's Room and bring your pretty ass to the Dance Room right fucking now." I almost yell at the phone, hearing some giggles around the room. 

_"You're such a party pooper. I'll be there in a couple of minutes, need something?"_

"Coffee. Frappuccino, extra cream." I say and hang off.

"Was he with James again?" Lindsay asks, a grin on her face. 

I nod. "As always." I roll my eyes. "They should start dating because I'm tired of having to pick him up from James' house at 3 in the morning. I mean, if he doesn't change I'll start calling him my GBF and see how he likes it." I chuckle.

"GBF?" Nessie asks, her eyebrows raising.

"Gay Best Friend. He hates it. I mean, as he should." I tell her and I hear her laughing.

A couple minutes later Kyle enters the room, followed by James. I notice the huge love bite on his neck and smirk. "Had fun, kids?" I ask and James blushes madly. "I guess that's a yes." I wink and Kyle hands me my coffee. "Oh, you're an angel."

"I know." He smiles. "Hey, Renesmee. Hey, people that are always creepily quiet." He says, waving at the Cullen's. I cough to conceal laughing.

"You're evil." I say, shaking my head as I drink. 

"I thought I was an angel." He pouts as he sits close to us. "Renesmee, that's James, my... Friend." He says as he looks at James, who sits with us aswell.

"Nice to meet you." She smiles lightly at him, who nods his head at her. "So... My mother told me I can go to your party." She tells me.

"Really? It'll be awesome! I'm sure you'll have fun." I smile at her as I get up. 

"Oh, I bought you this, too. Thought it would brighten your day." Kyle says as he throws a small package at me. I catch it and look at it. "Chocolate balls." He says, winking at me. "Balls are an important part of our diet, you know?" I shake my head.

I put it on my backpack before thanking him. "I'm not hungry, but thanks anyways." I say.

"Who wants to play Truth or Dare?" Lindsay asks and everyone raises hands except for me and the Cullen's. "Oh, come on, Belle. It'll be fun. Come here." He says tapping the spot close to him. I sigh and nod, walking to it. As I walk, a bump into something, or better, someone, and my cheeks burn as I realize is Alec Cullen. I avoid his eyes as I try to find the way back to my words.

"I, huh, sorry. Didn't see you." I say as I quickly rush to my friends. 

The Cullen's take seats close to us, Alec's eyes almost drying my skin as I turn to Kyle. "I start. Belle, truth or dare?" 

I roll my eyes. "Truth." I say and he smirks.

"Did you meet someone interesting on your trip to Italy?" He asks and I blush.

"No. I told you I was there because of my father's business. I don't have time to stupid things like dating." I say and shrug. 

"C'mon, I'm not talking about dating, if you know what I mean." He winks and I gasp. 

"Kyle! No, no, no! You know I didn't!" I shake my head quickly. 

"Fine." He rolls his eyes.

"Me. Nessie, truth or dare?" Lindsay asks. 

"Truth." She says and looks up.

"Are you a virgin?" Lindsay asks and my eyes open wide.

"Lindy! That's personal! Her family is here." I say. 

"No, it's okay." Nessie answer with a light blush on her cheeks. "Yes, I am." 

"Oh, so that makes you the second virgin in our squad." Kyle chuckles. 

"Who's the first?" Nessie asks.

"Belle." He says and everyone, including the Cullen's, look at me. I feel uncomfortable and look at the ground, my cheeks burning. 

"Yes, I'm a virgin, now can you guys stop looking at me? I'm not an animal in the Zoo." I say as I awkwardly make my way to my backpack and grab the chocolate balls, shoving one on my mouth. The candy tastes like heaven, but I can't help but look at the information in the back. One of those has 80 calories. My eyes open wide. "What have you given me?" I ask Kyle as I shove the package in my backpack and start drinking coffee again. 

Kyle rolls his eyes. "Drama Queen." He says chuckling and I sigh loud. 

"Shut up. My turn. James. Do you like Kyle enough for him to be your boyfriend?" I ask and everyone's eyes fall on James, who blushes madly before nodding quickly. "Say it!" 

"Y-yes... Yes, I like him." He says and looks at Kyle, who smiles widely and kiss James' cheek. 

"You two are adorable." I chuckle. 

"Me. Belle, since you didn't give Kyle the opportunity to choose, I'll do the same. I dare you to dance THE choreography, right here, right now." She says and smirks. 

I blush as I look at the Cullen's, she wanted me to dance [it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmtCRU6Zbk) with them here? "What if I don't?" I ask, gulping. 

"Then I won't be your friend anymore." She says crossing her arms. I chuckle. 

"Fair enough, but I'll make sure my next question is for you." I say and she nods.

I get up, walking to the computer and searching for the song, as soon as I find, I take a deep breath before pressing play. 

During the whole dance, I focus my eyes on the white wall in front of me, trying not to blush as I feel Alec's eyes on me more than once. I shake my head, I must be drinking too much coffee because someone like Alec Cullen would never look at me, I mean, look at me, I'm nothing compared to his sisters, or to Renesmee, or to Lindsay. I'm a disaster, an ugly, fat disaster. 

As soon as I finish, I hear everyone clapping and sit down again, my cheeks burning. "Don't follow her example, Nessie." Kyle says and everyone laughs. 

"Shut up, lovebug." I say and he pretends to be offended while I roll my eyes. "So, Lindsay. Truth. Who, in this room, would you make out with?" I ask her and I see the smirk on her face as she thinks about answering. 

"I'm afraid that my answer might be the cause of my death because he's already taken." She says and I roll my eyes.

"Say the name already." Nessie demands and I chuckle, nodding in agreement. 

Her eyes find Edward and she winks at him, making me hold my laugh as she pronounces his name. I smile and look at Nessie, who seems to be enjoying a personal joke with her brother. 

"What about you, drama Queen?" Nessie asks me and I blush. 

"No one." I say, even though I know I'm lying. 

Don't get me wrong, I think he's dangerous, and probably stupid like all the other guys, but I can't deny: Alec Cullen is gorgeous as hell. 

"Oh, come on, tell us." Nessie says, poking my shoulder. 

"For real, I'm not searching for romance at the moment." I shrug. 

"It's not romance, idiot it's sex." Kyle says and I blush even more. 

"I'm not looking for that either. Can we please move to the next subject?" I ask with annoyance and everyone nods.

The hours pass fast, we talked about a little bit of everything, Nessie told us about Forks, her hometown, and I tell her about my Italian past. "Italy is so beautiful, the people, the air, everything." I smile and she nods.

"My family traveled there before I was born, I don't know how the trip was, but the country seems lovely." She smiles. 

"It is." I hear a different voice saying and my eyes fall on Alec. His voice almost takes my breath away, but I control myself. 

"You've been to Italy?" I ask casually. 

"I lived there before moving in with the Cullen's." He says, his eyes locked in mine. I want to turn my face, I want to run, I want to do anything, but I just can't, his golden eyes keep calling mine. 

"Guess we should go now." Rosalie says as she gets up, almost dragging Nessie and her family with her. "It was nice to meet everyone, we'll see you guys later." She says and we nod, saying a few goodbyes.

As I walk to my backpack, I notice a white paper folded on the top of my jacket. I frown, looking around to see everyone taking their backpacks. I know no one came close to my backpack, because I was looking at it the whole time, but even though I was looking there's a little paper there.

I unfold it and raise an eyebrow as I read the words, they make my heart race as I've never felt before. I pass my fingers through the words, a smile growing on my face as I read the words out loud. 

“ _Il mio bellisimo angelo”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It means: My beautiful angel.


	4. Red

My ride home was filled with joy as I kept wondering who would leave me such message. I mean, I've never received such a thing, and I certainly don't know anyone who speaks Italian, except for myself. 

Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last long, because as I arrived home, a tall boy with dark blue eyes and ginger hair waved at me, and my jaw fell to the floor. "Norman. Can I know what the fuck you're doing in my house?" I ask, throwing my backpack on the floor. 

Norman raises his eyebrows, a smirk popping on his face as he walks towards me. "That's no way for a Princess to talk." He says, shaking his head. "I'll have to take note of that." He says, magically materializing a pen and a small notebook.

I roll my eyes, Norman Barnes is Gabriel Barnes son, who's only one of the biggest people in the world when it comes to Witchcraft. I met Norman on my travel to Italy, we shared a room, and I know for a fact that he's the biggest douche in the world. "I'm not your fucking Princess." I say between a clenched jaw.

"Belle! Do not talk to Norman like that." I hear someone saying and I turn around to find my aunt Clarisse holding a plate full of cookies. "He's here to supervise your Magic, and make sure nothing gets out of control." She says, placing the plate on the Living Room table. I roll my eyes. 

"Seriously? Well, everything is fine, you can leave now." I say, making a slight switch with my hand, that causes the front door to open widely. 

Norman smirks. "I see your power is increasing." He says, floating his pencil through the pages of the notebook. 

"Can't say the same about your IQ. Shouldn't you be at College or something? Or having a job is not in your plans?" I ask.

"Actually, I _am_ in College. My father already set everything up for me to go to college here, and I'll be living right across the street. Oh, and guess what? We're going to do some practising tonight." He says, shooting a ball of his red mist at me, that I quickly dodge. 

I sigh, grabbing the plate of cookies from the table and floating it with my backpack upstairs. "Whatever."

The morning after, I woke up exactly half an hour after I went to bed; why, you ask? Because Norman kept me awake all night, throwing red mist daggers at me and seeing how I reacted to different things. Finally, when the sun was already up and I had half an hour until I had to wake up, he left the house, and I collapsed in bed. 

A knock on the door woke me up. "Belle? Belle, are you awake?" It was my mother, of course. Clarisse wouldn't wake me, she knows I have an alarm. I sigh as I get up, rushing to the door and rubbing my eyes as I look at my mother, the complete opposite of me. Her skin is the light brown as mine, but her hair is ridiculously blonde, instead of dark brown, and her eyes are green, instead of black. "Good Morning." She smiles, handing me three Chanel bags, and I smile.

"Thank you!" I exclaim, excited. "Are you leaving soon? Because we could have breakfast..."

"Actually, I'm leaving now, I just dropped by to hand you your gifts. I have Fashion Week in Spain, and my flight leaves in 30 minutes. Have a great day at school!" She says, kissing my forehead before rushing downstairs. 

I sigh as I close the door, of course, she's not staying longer than an hour, the only occasions she does are on my birthday, or on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other 'Family Holiday', so we can take a lot of pictures to post on Instagram, and pretend we're a happy family.

I sit on my bed and open the bags, finding some cute outfits and a hidden MAC personalized bag with some makeup inside. I look at them and smile, even though she doesn't have much time, I'm glad she thinks about me when she's travelling, and they only remind me that Costume Day is tomorrow, which means we won't have the first periods.

Another knock on the door makes me turn around, and I wave as Clarisse enters my room, a plate of pancakes on her hands. My stomach rolls, Clare's pancakes are always drowning in syrup and butter, and since I ate those cookies, I can't even think about taking a bite of those pancakes. "Did she come to see you?"

I nod. "Yes, she left me those before going." I smile. "Well, I'll start getting ready to school, don't forget the girls are coming tonight." I say, getting up quickly and grabbing a towel before rushing to the bathroom. 

I took longer than expected in the shower, but as I come out, I feel fresh, new and refreshed. The only thing a good morning shower can't give me is energy, but that's what Starbucks is for. I put on my outfit, smiling as I look at the new dress Mother gave me. I feel sad that she's not here most of the time, but it makes me happy that she remembers me while travelling; after all, she's my mother.

As I finish, I take a look at Clare's pancakes and sit on the bed, rasping the syrup out with the fork and taking a bite of the actual pancake, my stomach growling as it feels the sweet taste. 

I look at my plate and shake my head. That's it, no more eating, I have to go to school. 

And that's what I yell to Clarisse, before shutting the front door behind me and jumping on my motorcycle. As I'm about to leave, I look up to the other side of the street, spotting a shinny pair of blue eyes and a light smirk looking at me, then a muscly arm raising and waving at me, I bite my lip and blush, he can be the biggest jerk of all times, but I can't deny: Norman Barnes is very attractive. 

I try not to think about him while I'm standing in the Starbucks line, waiting to get my Mocha Coconut Frappuccino blended coffee, but I just can't avoid it. Another thing I can't help thinking about? The Cullens. Suddenly, I see myself imagining all kinds of possibilities for their awkward acting, and silence, and, as I less expect, the attendant is shaking the beverage at my face, a smile on his lips. "Have a good day." He says and I smile, taking the coffee. "Sorry, hon, I'm not into girls. But you're cute." He says and I blush deeply before nodding and running off the store, chuckling as I get to the moto and driving to school. 

As I arrive, I take my backpack, my coffee and the keys before walking to the Dance Room, knowing I still have twenty minutes before class. 

As expected, Lindsay, Lilith, Kyle, James, Renesmee, and her shadows are in the room, and I smile at them. "Good Morning, Beautiful Creatures." I say, sipping my coffee before putting the backpack down.

"Someone is in a good mood." Kyle says, smirking. "What's his name?"

I roll my eyes. "Why does my happiness have to be connected to a man? God, sexist much?"

"Ironically, I got it from my mother." He says, chuckling and I shake my head, a smile playing on my lips.

"You look beautiful. That's a lovely dress." Someone says and I turn my head to meet the voice who was talking, no one other than Alec Cullen.

A deep blush fills my cheeks, and I know they're able to see it even though my skin, and I clear my throat before answering. "Huh... Thank you... My... My mother brought it from Paris." I say, sitting down close to Lindsay. 

"Oh, she's back?" Lindy asks.

I shake my head. "She was just passing by to leave a few things she bought for me while travelling." I say, sighing as I drink my coffee. 

Lindy nods and takes her notebook out of her backpack. She starts doing that thing where she taps her fingers on the notebook while thinking about the answer to a problem, and I smile. "Forgot to finish homework?"

"Actually, I didn't even start." She shrugs. "Can't do anything if History is boring. Who was the last Queen of France, when was her tenure, why was she arrested and what was she known for?" She says and I chuckle. 

"That's easy. The Last Queen of France was Marie Antoinette, born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, November 2nd, 1755. Her Tenure started on September 4th, 1791, when she was 36, and ended a year later, on August 10th, 1792. She is known because she was the wife of King Louis XVI of France, who didn't consummate his marriage for nine years. She married him when she was only 14 years old and was always eccentric and very outgoing. She's also known for her passion for gambling and her iconic sentence 'Let Them Eat Cake', which was claimed to be said after the French Crisis, when the people got out of bread and that was her 'solution', but is not actually real and was invented by the opposition to paint her as a villain. She was arrested during the breakdown of the palace, because the people were tired of the manipulation and scams of the Royalty, and they wanted a Democracy, leading to the French Revolution. She died a year later, 1793, at the age of 37, but her body was only buried in 1815. She had four children, Marie Therese Charlotte, Louis XVII, Louis Joseph and Marie Sophie Helene Beatrice de Bourbon. Unfortunately, Marie Sophie died one year after being born, Louis XVII died at the age of ten, and his brother, Louis Joseph, at the age of eight. She's claimed to be one of the most important icons of France, and her most famous quote is probably not even fucking real." I say, smiling at Lindsay while she takes the notes. 

"You know all of this by heart?!" Renesmee asked me, shocked and I chuckled. 

"One of my dogs is named after her dog, Mops, a pug." I say and she nods. "She's also one of my favorite historical figures, I just love her story and all." 

"I don't think I've ever seen a human keep this amount of information." Alec says and I blush, rubbing the back of my neck. 

"I... Thank you, I guess." I shrug. 

"That's because she has no social life." James says and I blush. 

"Hey! Not true! I have... Kind of... Okay, maybe you're right." I chuckle and everyone laughs. 

The Cullens, otherwise, don't seem very happy with the fact that Alec Cullen talked to me. What if they don't think I'm good enough to talk to him? Edward, on the other hand, seems puzzled with me, and I can't help but blush when I see his eyes on me. 

"Knock, knock." A voice says and I thank God, because we can't get rid of that awkward silence. Unfortunately, when I look up to see Michael Twombly, I don't feel that happy anymore. I clench my jaw. "Hey, there, sugar bear." He says, reaching to touch my shoulder, but I dodge him. 

"What do you want?"

"Can we talk?"

"I don't know, can we smoke weed in the classrooms?" I ask.

"No...?"

"So no." I answer, getting up to push him of the room. 

"Three minutes." He says, shutting the door behind us and blocking me out of the room. I clench my jaw. 

"You have two." 

"Look, babe, I know I've made some mistakes, but..." He starts and I chuckle.

"SOME mistakes?" I ask, my skin burning with anger, and I can feel the flames ready to be shoot of my hands. "You hit me, called me a slut, cheated on me, and tried to force me to have sex with you, even after I said no. Michael, how many times am I gonna have to say that I don't ever want to see your face again?!" I say, whispering-yelling, because I don't really want anyone to hear it, especially the Cullens. "We're over, that's it."

"You can't leave me!" He yelled and I chuckle. 

"Watch me." I say, opening the Dance Room door and entering, shutting it behind me. 

I want to scream, to break everything and everyone, to shoot fire across the room and burn everything, but instead, I look at the floor, waiting sixty seconds and breathing slowly before glancing at the perfectly polished floor and make sure my orbits are back to their normal colour, and not the dark red horrendous thing they turn into when I'm mad. 

As I look up, I take a deep breath, praying for them to have not seen it. "Are you okay?' Lindsay asks and that makes me sure that they haven't seen it. 

"Yes... Is just... He pisses me off so badly." I say, running a hand through my hair before looking at Lindy. "I'm fine." I assure her, sitting back on the chair, but I know that there are eyes following my every move. 

And, suddenly, I get dizzy, and a slow lullaby starts playing on my head, while I close my eyes and totally drift off.

I already had Visions before, apparently, that's pretty common when your powers are blooming, but none of them had been as real as this one. 

I was standing in the middle of a forest, and I could tell it was around twilight because the sun was slowly saying goodbye as I look around, spotting a deer coming near me. The deer hides behind me and I chuckle, patting his head before looking up. 

Coming out of nowhere, a black shadow throws the deer on the ground, and I yell for it to stop. The deer screams, and suddenly the shadow is covered with dark red blood.   
I put my hand out to touch the body, but, like on a dream, everything fades away in front of me.

"Belle? Belle!" Renesmee yells and I look up at her. "Are you okay? You were staring at yourself in the large mirror for the past five minutes." She chuckles. "Vain enough?" She says and I blush. 

"I was just thinking." I say and clear my throat, getting up and taking my backpack as I realise I need to get to class. 

"Can we walk you to class?" Renesmee asks and I shake my head. "Or the infirmary..." 

"No! No... No, I'm fine." I say, rushing to the door, and then to the corridors to my first period of English Literature. 

But its a lie. 

Because the shadow I saw in my vision had a body. 

A name. 

A face. 

The shadow was Alec Cullen.


	5. Golden

I spent the following hours trying to convince myself that the person I saw on the vision wasn't Alec. It couldn't be, and, even if it _was_ , there must have some explanation for that. Maybe I was only imagining, not having a vision, maybe I've mistaken the shadow with Alec because he complimented me and his voice makes me feel… Better.

I know is stupid (believe me, I know), but there's something about him – about _them_ – that attracts me, pulls me to him like he was a magnet, and I was the iron. How stupid is that?

After the third period though, before we had lunch, I had PE with Lindsay and Renesmee, and, even though I thought it couldn't get any worse, God, I was wrong.

“Okay, kids, so we'll have to share the Gym with the 12th graders if you guys don't mind.” Coach Carter told us as we entered the gym.

Oh, I do. I do mind.

But, apparently, I was the only one who minded, because as soon as I entered the changing room, the number of hormones floating through the air was almost tangible.

“I know, have you seen him?!”

“I heard he's the only one of them who's actually single!”

“He won't after he sees me in that tank top.”

That last one was by far the worst because it came from Alicia Hayes, well-known school bitch, and I'm not saying this to be sexist or because I'm a bit bitchy myself, I'm saying it because it's true. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't really care about how many guys she sleeps with, it's her life and it's her vagina, but there's something about that… Egocentric confidence of hers that always gives me the chills.

I roll my eyes as I find my locker, smiling as I see Renesmee and Lindsay right next to me. “Have you heard?” Lindsay asks excitedly.

“What, that Kanye West is running for president in 2020? Yep, pretty shitty, huh?” I say as I grab my clothes.

Lindsay rolls her eyes. “You know damn well that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about _them_ sharing the Gym with _us._ ”

“You really have no shame on saying that in front of their sister, do you?” I ask chuckling as I grab the deodorant.

“Oh, it's okay, I'm used to it.” Nessie says with a shrug. “But nothing is worse than what I've heard that Alicia-something saying. It gave me nightmares, and its the middle of the day!” She says and we laugh. “No, really, she needs to chill.”

I nod. “I know, right? Try telling _her_ that.” I say before turning around. “I'll go change, see you guys in five minutes. If I take longer, tell the coach that I'm sorry.” I say and they nod, finishing dressing up as I walk to the bathroom.

I sigh as I finish, it's not that I have a problem with changing in public… Okay, I do have a problem with changing in public, but is only because all of my classmates seem to have evolved this summer (like a freaking Pokemon), and I'm still curveless and ugly.

So, yeah, I have a problem when it comes to exposing myself, judge me.

Some may have noticed that I always try to cover my arms, usually with a jacket or coat. Well, that's kinda because I don't really like my arms, but mostly because there are some things I don't really want to show.

Unfortunately, PE is my only exception, meaning that we can't wear coats or jackets on this class, because it disrupts our performance or something, still, I put a black coat on and pray for the coach not to notice.

Then I head to the Gym.

While I'm walking, I notice there still are some girls getting ready, pushing their shorts up, spraying perfume and putting lipstick on, all because we have special guests today, and, even though the Cullens do receive a lot of attention, there still are some pretty cute guys in 12th grade, none that compares to them, of course.

“Oh, Miss Woods! Glad you decided to join us, after all.” Coach Carter says as I enter the Gym. I blush, searching for Lindsay and Renesmee, and finally sitting next to Nessie. I look around the Gym to find the Cullens sitting next to each other, obviously, and hearing the instructions Coach Menn was giving them. My eyes meet Alec' s for a brief second, but for enough time for me to see his golden orbits and realize that he couldn't be the shadow I saw on my supposed Vision, because the creature (whoever it was), had stormy red eyes.

I look down at my lap as he shoots a small smile at me, trying to focus on what Carter is saying instead of fantasizing with someone that I'll never have.

Not that I want him, of course.

“Yes, Miss Hayes?” Coach asks as Alicia raises her hand.

She doesn't really need to get up to speak up, but she does anyway, and I think that has something to do with the lack of cells on her brain. I feel bad for thinking that, but I can't really help it, I just don't like her.

“I may be mistaken, Coach, but I'm pretty sure it's against the rules to wear coats or jackets in the Gym, and I don't think Annabelle should be an exception to this rule.” She says shooting me a smile.

“Isn't minding your own business a damn fucking rule, Hayes?” Lindsay hisses.

“Miss Gillian! Unfortunately, Miss Hayes is right. You'll have to take the coat off, Miss Woods.” Carter says and I nod, following to the bleachers and taking my coat off, leaving it there and folding my arms as a chill of anger rushes through my blood.

“Thank you, I just wanted to make sure everything was in perfect order.” Alicia says.

“You mean, unlike your brain?” I say and a laugh echoes through the class.

“One more discussion between you girls and you're going to the principal's office, ladies.” Coach says and we nod, ending the conversation. “Let's start with a warm-up, okay? I want you girls to run 20 laps through the gym, right now.” He says and I groan, getting up and joining the girls as we start running.

“Is it even legal for him to do that?” I hear Nessie asking and I chuckle.

“Unfortunately, yes. He has full power inside those walls.” I answer, stopping to breath as I feel my lungs complaining.

“You okay? You don't actually need to do that, the students with bronchitis are allowed to skip…” Nessie starts.

“I know!” I hiss angrily. I sigh and shake my head. “I know, Nessie. I just don't feel like dropping something I _can_ do, okay? I'll be okay, I just need to breathe for a second.” I say and she nods, waiting for me as I regain my air.

The rest of the laps were easier than the first one, I focused on breathing in and out instead of on the people around me, but I can't deny that it was much better when I heard Coach's whistle telling us we could stop running. My arms are still crossed, the inside part of them hidden.

“Okay, five minutes for water, then form a line in front of the rope.” Coach say and I sigh.

“Seriously, he'll force us to climb today?” I say sighing. “Now that should be illegal.”

“Told you!” Nessie says as she passes me a bottle of water. “Here, you probably need this.”

I smile as I grab my coat again and put it on, I'll just skip the rope and go to the infirmary, maybe ask my aunt to write me a letter that authorizes me to wear a coat. “Thank you, Ness.” I say smiling and drinking the precious liquid.

“Oh. My. God.” I hear Lindsay saying and holding her breath. “Look at Alicia, she's already making her moves on Alec.”

The sudden mention of Alicia Hayes and Alec Cullen on the same sentence are enough to make my blood boil in fury, but I force myself to look up and see Alicia, with her see-through tank top and her light pink bra, exposing those… huge things she has, walking by the 12th grade's part of the gym, which was enough to make those horny bastards look at her. Fortunately, none of those was Alec, who's the one she apparently wants. But, instead of giving up, she sat close to him and pathetically tried to start a conversation.

“Poor thing.” I whisper, looking at the girls. “He barely speaks.”

“He's speaking.” Lindsay says and I raise my eyebrows.

“What?” I ask.

“He's talking to her! Look.” Lindsay says, turning my head so I can face them.

Alicia has her hand innocently rested on Alec's knee, as they discuss something that's apparently pretty interesting because she laughs loudly and he has a half-smile threatening to play on his lips.

I clench my jaw, this shouldn't upset me, after all, I've seen her doing that – and worse – to tons of guys before (including my now ex-boyfriend, Michael Twombly), but even though, a part of me clenches in hate, begging me to shoot ice into her brain… That is if she had one.

I finally look away as Edward Cullen's eyes meet mine, and I finally realize that they're sitting all together, and, even with the possibility, Alicia is only flirting with Alec, which is odd because he's not the only one who's hot.

Or, maybe, after being punched by me, she finally learned that she shouldn't mess with someone's boyfriend. And, before you ask, yes, I spent my energy and precious time punching Alicia Hayes, but, in my defence, I also kicked Michael's balls, after all, Alicia and I were friends at the time, but that's not something I want to talk about.

“Come on, Coach is calling.” Nessie says and I nod, being pulled out of my thoughts and getting up with her. “Hey, Belle?” Nessie calls and I turn around, facing her. “Don't worry, she's not his type.” She assures me before starting to walk again.

I spend a few seconds there, facing my shoes as a mysterious smile creeps on my face, and I suddenly feel really happy that Alec may not fall head over heels with Alicia Hayes, because If he doesn't, then he'll be the first one.

I walk back to Coach as I try to understand why the fact that Alec may not like Alicia makes me so happy. Maybe I'm just happy that someone will finally reject her instead of kissing her shoes, but thinking that makes me feel like a despicable human being, because, as my father always says, everyone deserves true love… Even Alicia fucking Hayes.

**--**

I sigh in relief as the end of the last period arrives, bringing with it the peace of knowing that I'm going home to prepare everything for the slumber party tonight.

As always, Lindsay (who's just my best friend in the whole world), will go home with me, because her parents are too busy and she doesn't trust her sister to drive, so, at the end of last period, we meet Lilith and Ness (and her shadows, of course), to explain where's my house again.

“Okay, I think I got it, I'll see you tonight then!” Lilith says before rushing to her parents' car.

I smile and look at Ness. “So, see you tonight?”

She nods. “Absolutely! Can't wait. Oh, another thing, who are you dressing up as tomorrow?” She asks excitedly.

“Can't tell, but you'll find out tonight.” I wink and she nods.

“Okay, well, I'll see you girls tonight, goodbye!” She says, quickly waving before following to the car with her siblings.

I look at them as they walk away, my eyes locking on Alec's for a second as he waves at us, I awkwardly wave back and blush. “Well, is time for us to go,” I say smiling at Lindsay.

“What was that?” She asks as we walk.

“What was what?” I ask confused, tying our bags to the motorcycle.

“Alec Cullen waving at you.” She asks chuckling.

I roll my eyes, holding the buckle of my helmet before doing the same with hers. “He wasn't waving at me, he was waving at _us_.” I say.

“Yes, of course, he was.” She rolls her eyes. “Say whatever you want, but he was checking you out.”

“Alec Cullen wasn't checking me out, okay? He's too… He's too…” I start.

“Too what?”

“He's too rich.” I say.

I was right, actually. The Cullen's became well-known in the town because of their large property and tons of money, so she couldn't say I was lying.

Instead, she laughed. “So? You are too.” She chuckles.

“Yes, but… He's Alec Cullen. It's different, and the hot guy always has the hot girl, let's not mess with the system.”

“You're just afraid to admit that you have a crush.” She points out as we hop on the motorcycle.

“I'm not! I mean, I don't!” I blush.

“Fine, but I'll find out the truth tonight on Truth or Dare, and there's nothing you can hide from me, my lady.”

Oh, dear God.

I'm in for a _hell_ of a night.


	6. Princess

Someone knocks on the door and I'm forced to pause Pride and Prejudice as I get up and walk to it, opening and finding a very shy Nessie standing next to my not-so-shy and completely-annoying 'cousin', Norman.

"There's one more." He says rolling his eyes as Nessie comes in. 

"Get lost." I say, trying to close the door, but his hand doesn't let me. 

"A little bit more of politeness would be nice, Princess." He smirks and I roll my eyes. 

"Norm, please get the fuck out." I say with a smile and hear the girls laughing as Renesmee sits down next to them. 

He rolls his eyes before leaving, a smirk on his face. 

I go back into the room and smile at Nessie, telling her to leave her stuff in the corner and join us on the bed. "We were watching Pride and Prejudice, which is Belle's favourite movie but since the last addition to our show is here, let's start the fun." Lindsay says looking at Nessie, Lilith and Me. I frown as she gets up and grabs an empty bottle of coca-cola, placing it on a book and smiling at me. I blush as she swings it, sighing as it doesn't point at me. "Lilith, Truth or Dare?" She asks and I look at her. 

The young Japanese girl smiles. "Truth." She says.

"Oh, we have a brave one." Lindsay says. "Now, we have a few rules. If you pick truth, after you answer you get to pick another person to answer the same question, okay? When was your first kiss?"

Lilith chuckles. "In 5th grade, with a little boy named Kevin." She smiles, then looks at Nessie. "When was your first kiss?"

Nessie blushes. "Three months ago, with my current boyfriend, Jacob." She smiles. 

"Aw! Don't be embarrassed. If it makes you feel better, Belle's first kiss was last year, with Mr. Douchbag, Michael." Lindsay says and I blush. 

"Ugh." I sigh. 

"What did he do?" Lilith asks. 

"He cheated on me, among other things... With my ex-friend, Alicia Hayes." I say, looking down. "And after that, he told me that we weren't actually dating, we weren't exclusive therefore he could kiss whoever the fuck he wanted. I kicked his balls and punched Alicia in the face." I shrug. 

"You punched Alicia Hayes?" Lilith asks laughing. 

"You were friends with that snake?!" Nessie asks shocked. 

I nod. "Unfortunately she was the one that introduced me to Michael. We were on the team together." 

"Why isn't she one of us anymore?" Nessie asks. 

"She betrayed us, we lost Regionals 'cause she gave our routine to another team, so Coach kicked her out and promoted me to Captain, that was a week before Michael and she got together. After that, I went to a party and he was there, he saw me dancing with a boy, called me a whore in front of the whole school and hit me." I say, sighing. "The guy is a complete piece of shit." I say, shaking my head.

"Ouch." Nessie says. "I'm sorry, this couldn't have been easy."

"Well, the past is the past, let's keep playing." I say, swinging the empty bottle.

Unfortunately for me, it lands on Lilith and me. "Truth or Dare?" She asks. 

"Dare." I say, as it is the safest choice. 

"I dare you to tell the truth." Lilith smirks. "Do you like Alec Cullen?" 

I look at Nessie, who has a smile on her face as if listening to a private joke, then I look at Lindsay, whose face clearly states she asked Lilith to say that. "I don't think it's proper we discuss Nessie's brother," I say, blushing. 

"Oh, come on, we all know you like him!" Nessie says and I blush harder. 

"I didn't expect that from you, Cullen," I say chuckling. I sigh. "Fine, I may have a little, tiny crush on him but that's all, I would never date a friend's brother." I assure her.

"Why? You guys would be a cute couple." Lilith says.

"What if we break up? What then? I'll have to see him every day and even more because of Nessie, it's not worth it to ruin a friendship because of a boy. Believe me, I know." I say, shaking my head.

After what it seemed like an inspirational conversation about my newly found feelings for Alec Cullen, we started to chat about school and quickly jumped to a movie about pregnancy and drama, Knocked Up, followed by What To Expect When You're Expecting, which is by far the silliest movie I have ever seen. 

It's fair to say we fell asleep roughly at 3 am, and woke up the next day feeling like there was no need to attend school, that is until Nessie reminded us.

"Come on, you guys! It's Costume Day!" She says getting up and grabbing her clothes. 

I sigh as I get up, smiling at her. "Do you always have this energy? What are you, superwoman?" I ask as I get up, shaking Lilith and Lindsay. 

As my house is big and has about 8 empty rooms, each one of the girls gathers their stuff and walks to one of them and I take our backpacks and bags downstairs before going back to my room and showering. 

I put my costume on a big bag, because we'll be changing at school, and start changing to a new outfit, trying to stay awake. 

As I finish changing and try to straighten my room as much as I can, I go downstairs to join the girls and my aunt on breakfast. I sit next to Lindsay and smile at everyone. 

"Belle? If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?" Nessie asks. 

"Oh, they're hardly ever home." I shrug. "I see them on special occasions and all that." I say, starting to eat.

She nods, eating her food and thanking Clarissa for cooking for us. "Oh, there's no need to thank me, honey. It's good to have Belle's friends here." She says awkwardly patting Nessie on the back. 

As we're ready to leave, my Aunt pulls me closer to her and hands me a paper, before I can ask what is it about she puts a finger up, telling me with her eyes I shall not talk, and I nod, kissing her cheek and saying goodbye.   
  
Because there are four of us, I borrow my mother's black Porsche, and as always, we make a quick stop at Starbucks and I get a double chocolate chip frappuccino, while Lindsay goes for a chai creme frappuccino, Lilith orders a vanilla bean frappuccino and Nessie passes our offer as she's not a fan of coffee, but I order her a tea anyways, to boast her caffeine level. 

We arrive quite early if we count the fact that Costume Day is basically a holiday and most classes are put off for an hour or two so that we can take pics or make out under the bleachers, not that I have ever done that, but still, I know some people who have... *cough* Lindsay and her former girlfriend *cough*.

We get out of the car and instantly walk to the Practice Room, where Nessie's shadows, aka 'family', will be waiting for us, I mean, her. You know, to make sure she's well-fed and not dead. 

As we walk into the room, I chuckle as I see James in a beautiful Batman Costume, and Kyle as Robin. "Well, congrats, you guys just made me give up on DC." I say chuckling. "You do look adorable, though. I always thought Batman and Robin had some sort of inappropriate relationship." I say chuckling.

They roll their eyes. "We look amazing, excuse me." Kyle says, his hand on James'.

I look around at the shadows, Rosalie and Emmett came as Bride and Groom, Alice and Jasper are a 20's couple, Bella and Edward are Cleopatra and Marc Anthony, Jane's small frame looks gorgeous in a Cat-Woman costume and Alec chose a Medieval set, with a cape. My eyes stay on him for a few seconds before blushing. 

"We should go change." Nessie says and we nod, walking to the dressing room.

We walk to each dressing cabin and I hear clothes being taken off and put on, and, when I peak out of my cabin I see Lilith in a Katniss Everdeen Costume, and Lindsay in a Bunny Costume that mostly involved a load of exposed skin, Nessie quickly walks out and I smile as I see her 60's Costume. "Are you dead there, Belle?" Lilith asks..

"She always takes some time." Lindy says chuckling. 

"Sorry, I'm almost done, the shoes just wouldn't close." I say. "Everyone ready?" 

"Yes, please." Lilith says and I chuckle, stepping out of the cabin. 

I can hear the girls holding their breath as they see my outfit and that's enough to make me smile. "You like?" 

They nod. "You look amazing." Lindsay says, while Renesmee just smirks, but doesn't say anything, even though I know she's thinking about something rather attention-catching, cause she has the 'I'm so gonna tell everyone' smirk on.

"I'll catch up to you guys." I say as I start to put my clothes on the bag and take my aunt's note out, unfolding it. I frown as I read it, holding my breath. 

_Don't trust Renesmee_

I shake my head as I think for a reason not to trust Nessie, she is one of the best people I have ever met. But then again, I do know there is something about the Cullen's that is off, and, for better or worse, Renesmee is a Cullen, therefore I should trust her as much as I trust the other Cullen's. I sigh and put the note back in my bag, hanging it on the wall with the others and walking to the door. 

As I open the door, I can see all the heads turning to me, and, for some reason, a smirk replaces Jane's usual bored look, making me blush and look down as I walk to grab some notes left from the Coach about the first game in two weeks, I sigh as I remember that and think about the new choreography, that is already ready, thank God, as I sit down next to Lindsay, who smiles weirdly. 

"What's wrong?" I ask, going through the notes. 

"You and Alec match." She says. 

I frown and glance at him, he's wearing baggy medieval pants and one of those shirts that have strings on, a black cape and his eyes are locked in me, not in my eyes, but in me in general. I nod as I realise we both choose the medieval look. "You're right, what a coincidence," I say, smiling gently at him before going back to thinking about the choreography.

"Isn't it?" Nessie says looking at her sister Alice.

I decide not to pay much attention to this weird gesture of hers, and start talking to Lindsay about the choreography, and, as the bell rings and we're all supposed to go to the Gym to hear the Principal talking about Costume Day, I stay behind for a few seconds and write some strategies on the board.

"Annabelle?" I hear a strong voice saying behind me and I drop the marker and turn around. 

Alec Cullen stands there, alone, a breath-taking smile on his face. I blush. "Please, call me Belle." I say, smiling.

" _Bella ragazza"_ He starts, making me blush harder as he walks to me. "I just wanted to say you look stunning." He says, his hand reaching to touch my face but stopping in the middle of the act. 

"T-Thank you, Alec, you look really good too, v-very realistic costume." I say, managing to smile through the blushing.

He smiles. "Thank you. Should we go?" He says pointing at some people going to the gym. I nod, following him as we walk. "How long have you studied here?" He asks casually. 

"Oh, just about 2 years, my parents travel a lot and I used to go to an all-girl boarding school in England." I say. "Then I moved here... My parents still travel a lot and are hardly home but it's worth it, people are great and the teaching is really good." I smile. 

"It's good that you've found a place to be yourself... why did you choose this costume?" He asks.

"I have a passion for history, everything from Medieval to Illuminism, from the 1910's to the '80s, I just love the past, it's so fascinating and we can learn so much from it." I chuckle. 

"That's interesting, I don't know many people who would say that." He smiles.

I open the doors of the gym and the sound makes most people look at us, I can see the hate in Alicia's eyes, her Jessica Rabbit costume even more revealing than the character's original one. "Well isn't that lovely." She says rolling her eyes, I sigh and walk to an empty spot on the bleachers. 

Alec sits next to me. "What's her deal?" He asks. 

"We used to be best friends." I start before stopping, remembering my aunt's words. I decide to continue since everything I'm telling Alec is stuff Nessie already knew. "She had a thing with my boyfriend while we were dating, it didn't work well. He hit me, tried to force me to do things I didn't want to... Let's just say it didn't end up well."

He looks angry for a second but nods slowly. "I hope someone taught him a lesson."

"Well I did kick him in the southern territory it that's what you mean by lesson." I chuckle. "But I lost Alicia's friendship and stopped talking to him." I shrug. "High School Drama, you know?" I chuckle.

He smiles. "You have a beautiful little laugh." He says and I blush. 

"Uhm... Thanks." I say, smiling.

"And an even better smile." He says.

I look down, smiling at myself as the Principal starts talking about the competitions of best costume and best couple costume. I sigh as I lose myself in thought, listing some things in my head.

1\. I can't trust any of the Cullens.

2\. I can't avoid any of the Cullens. 

3\. They are hiding something and I'll most certainly find out what. 

4\. I am definitely crushing on Alec Cullen.


	7. Stage

I smile as I finish getting dressed, Principal Hayes will announce the Best Costume and the Best Couple Costume winners today.

Also, today I have my Audition for the school play. My mother and my father met each other on their audition many years ago, and my aunt also participated when she was in school on it. Grease. My aunt is a little bit younger than my mom, so both of them got to play Sandy, and now, it's my turn. 

As I'm driving to school, my caramel macchiato on the cup holder, I feel the fresh breeze on my face as I remember yesterday. Alec said I looked stunning... He likes my smile and my laugh. My heart beats fast just thinking about it.

I sigh as I park, I shouldn't feel that way, I'm not allowed to feel this way. Alec is most likely very dangerous, and so is his family, for my aunt doesn't tell me not to trust non-dangerous people, she knows I can take care of myself.

I chew the inside of my mouth as I walk, except for the fact that they're adopted and all very beautiful, I don't really know much about them, maybe I should use Nessie in my favour and find out a few things. 

I walk into the Dance Room with a smile on my face, smiling at Nessie and Lilith and approaching them.

"Well, Good Morning! I can feel your Happiness and I see no reason for it, you're at school, remember?" Lilith says and I chuckle.

"How could I forget that?" I say smiling. 

Lindsay approaches me, her arm around my shoulder as she tries to push me away. 

"Wait! Belle, I kinda wanted to show you something. My teacher taught me two days ago!" Nessie says and I nod.

"Sure, what is it?" I ask, putting my backpack on the table. 

"Shit." I hear Lindy mumbling as Nessie performs a perfect, and I mean PERFECT scorpion.

"Wait..." I start, my smile falling. "Two... Two days ago?" I ask, blinking slightly. 

"Yeah! Isn't it cool?" She asks excited. 

I dig my nails on my skin, hard enough to take some blood as I force a smile. "Amazing." I say, turning around and walking to the bathroom. 

"I told her not to tell you now..." Lindsay says, following me. 

"Two days. Two days, Lindsay. That's 48 hours. She learned the scorpion in 48 fucking hours. I spent three weeks trying to do that fucking move and she learned it in 48 FUCKING HOURS!" I whisper-yell, turning the tap on and washing the blood away. 

"Hey, there's no need to be so nervous, Belle! So what, she mastered a lame move in two days? I've seen you come up with a full choreo in 20 minutes!" Lindsay says.

I look down before looking up at her. "You're right. I'm awesome. I've been dancing since I could walk. It was the first thing I ever did. The first word that came out my fucking mouth was 'performance'. I'm great at singing and I'm an awesome dancer. I dedicated my whole life to it, I'm awesome." I say, nodding.

"Hell yeah you are!" Lindsay says. "Now let's go outside normally and talk about strategies for the first game."

I nod and she takes my hand, walking with me out the bathroom. I notice Bella giving me hard looks and some of the Cullen's talking among themselves as I walk to the board with Lindsay. 

"Are you okay?" A high pitched voice asks. Renesmee. 

I force a smile. "I'm great." I lie. "Just a little stressed, auditions for Sandy are today and I'm kinda blown out, that's all." 

Nessie smiles. "You're auditioning too? Awesome!" She says excitedly before leaving to talk to Lilith. 

I look at Lindsay, my forced smile growing. "You look like a psycho, babe." Lindsay says. 

"Awesome." I repeat. "AWESOME." I say. "She's auditioning for Sandy."

"So what? You've been preparing for this role since you were five, you know all the songs by heart, you have an amazing voice and you've been working on your solo for the audition for the past six months. You're gonna nail this audition so bad Cullen will want to run away and hide! I bet she's not even a good singer."   
  
  
She's a good singer. 

I sigh as I look at Renesmee, her perfect light brown hair falling on her perfect face as she sings Edge of Glory with her perfect voice. I think I'm about to throw up, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pass out. 

"Calm down." Kyle says. 

"I'm calm." I say. 

"She's a new girl, they'll never give her the role. Plus you'll sing miss Duval's favorite song." He says with a wink. 

"It just fucking annoys me, you know? She has everything. She's pretty, super hot, can master a professional move in a matter of two fucking days and has a killer voice. And have you seen her fucking parents? They don't even look real!" I whisper.

Mister and Miss' Cullen arrived a few minutes before Nessie's performance. Carlisle still wearing his doctor uniform and Esme with her makeup perfectly did and her light locks on perfect waves, her purple dress showing her precious curves. I didn't know their names, but fortunately Jess knew, 'cause she came to tell me the second they arrived.  
My aunt is still at work, she couldn't get the day off. My dad is still in Brazil for business and my mother is currently in Milan. They would never show up to a silly high school play, but I know they'll be proud if I get Sandy, and so will my aunt.

"I know right, they're perfect!" Kyle says.

"Kyle!" Lindsay hisses. "Don't worry, babe. You'll do much better." 

I nod as look down at my feet, smiling as Miss Duval calls me. That's my chance. 

Brandon gives me the thumbs up as I walk on the stage. Brandon is an old friend, we met on my first day of school and became friends because of his love for Broadway. He auditioned before me, and I'm sure he'll get Danny.

"Miss Woods!" Miss Duval says. "Happy to see you're auditioning, loved the Spring Choreography."

"Oh, thank you, Miss Duval. I hope you like my audition as well." I chuckle, smiling as the song begins. 

I choose Don't Rain on My Parade because it is a rather easy song, and also on Miss Duval's top ten. My Aunt told me that, she's good friends with the drama teacher, who, like me and Brandon, loves a good Broadway show. 

"Bravo, Miss Woods, Bra-vo!" She claps. "I will ask all students to wait backstage so that I can make my decision.

I nod and walk to Brandon, who wraps his arms around me. "Amazing." He whispers and I smile, walking to a bench and sitting. 

"I hope amazing enough." I say, sighing.

"I'm sure it was." Lindy says.

The Cullens join us, Carlisle and Esme not with them anymore, so I assume he probably went back to work and she... I don't know what she does. 

Alec walks to us, smiling down at me as he sits down. "You were really good." He says. "Of course I don't know much about Broadway but I'm sure you were phenomenal." He says. 

I hear Bella hissing something at him and he rolls his eyes, walking to Nessie and his family. She smiles gently at me, and I return the smile, still in doubt of whether I should trust her or not. Even though I tell myself I shouldn't, because her family is weird, I know the real reason I don't wanna trust her is because she's perfect at, well, everything.

I get up and start doing some basic ballet moves, trying to make the time pass. As I change to an arabesque, my eyes lock with Alec's for a few seconds before I go back to first position. I look down, something is definitely wrong about them. 

A couple minutes later, Miss Duval walks into the backstage, a smile on her face as she makes her way to the Board and places a list there. I get up with everyone else and excitedly stand there, trying to see something through the sea of people. "Uh, excuse me?" I say but is useless. 

I sigh and wait till everyone is gone to see the list, I get up on my toes but I can finally see.

It's there, black and white. 

Annabelle Woods -------------------------- Sandy 

I scream, jumping and walking to Lindy, Brandon and Kyle. 

"I'm Sandy! I can't believe I'm Sandy!" I yell, hugging them. 

"And I'm Danny, but that's no shocker." He winks at me and I smile, shaking my head. "Bad news, though, I won't be able to rehearse with you for a while, my folks and I are going to Wisconsin for my uncle's funeral... Or is it my grand-uncle?" He frowns.

"It's okay, I'm sorry for your loss." I say, taking his hand. 

"Oh, I didn't knew him very well but my mother is devastated, I'm really sorry we won't be able to rehearse." 

"Don't even worry about it, Bran. Send my best thoughts to your family." I say, hugging him before he leaves. 

"I knew you could do it, I knew it!" Lindsay says. "I told you so!" 

I smile. "One sec." I say, grabbing my phone. 

_"Hello?"_ A strong voice answers.

"Dad! It's me, you won't believe-" 

_"Can't talk now, Annabelle."_ He cuts me. 

"But dad, it is quick I promise, I-"

_"I said I can't talk now! I'll send you something pretty, okay?"_

"Yeah, okay. I love y-"

_"Bye."_

I sigh, staring at the phone for a few seconds before looking up at Lindsay and Kyle. "He's busy, I'm sure he'll call later." 

He won't, though. I know that. 

"What do you think we go celebrate at Pizza Hut?" Lindsay asks. 

I nod. "Sure! Sounds great!" 

"Do you wanna come, Nessie?" Kyle asks, looking behind us.

I almost forgot they were still there. According to the list, Nessie will play Frenchy, which is still a good role. She'll also play Betty if Hayley Jenner get any injuries. 

She looks at her brother Edward, her hand on his before she smiles. "I would love to!" She says joining us. "Congrats, Belle. You were awesome." She smiles. 

I bite my lip, smiling as I feel my heart sinking, knowing all the things I said about her and all the doubt I had. I avoid sighing, for I don't know if this 'good girl' look is not just an act.

We're in the parking lot when I hear a voice calling my name. I turn around, Alec walking to me and smiling down at me. 

"Yes?" I say.

"I... I heard your friend won't be able to rehearse with you and I was wondering if you would maybe want my help?" He asks, his eyes locked on mine. 

I blush, looking at Nessie and Lindy, they stand a couple of feet behind us. Then back at him. "Oh. That's... That's really nice of you. I... I would like that." I smile.

Suddenly, everything gets silent. 

Suddenly, everyone is gone. 

I don't know where I am anymore. 

I don't know who I am anymore. 

Because Alec Cullen is kissing me.


	8. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's angsty, bois and gals and non binary pals.

"He kissed you!" Lindsay says for the tenth time as she shoves a slice of pizza down her throat.

"On the cheek, Lindsay. He kissed me on the cheek." I roll my eyes. 

"I don't think you get it. He freaking kissed you, that's what matters!" Kyle says with a smug grin on his face.

"He kissed my cheek, how is that good news?" I sigh.

"Sweetheart, he doesn't even breathe near people, and he kissed you! Doesn't matter where! That's a big step for him, you should feel special." Renesmee says with a chuckle. 

I shake my head and look through the window, fighting a smile.

Maybe it does mean something.

Maybe he likes me. 

The next day, I wake up with a fist hammering on my door. The girls told me that I've received Best Costume, and Rosalie and Emmett got Best Couple Costume (well of course they did, look at them!), which kinda made me upset because I expected the Principal to think Alec and I were... Well, a Couple. 

But he didn't. 

"I'm walking in!" A voice says before my door is opened. 

I roll my eyes and look at my clock before sighing loudly. "Great, couldn't you wait an hour? I need to freaking sleep!" 

Norman, the idiot, looks at me with a face I can only describe as obnoxious before he raises an eyebrow and walks to me. "We need to talk."

"Well, obviously! You wouldn't barge into my room uninvited an hour before I'm supposed to wake up unless you wanted a slow and painful death." 

He rolls his eyes. "Just let me talk." He says sitting next to me on the bed. "I was walking through the city yesterday, near the Hospital. And I took somethings out of my backpack, but my Somnium got caught on my finger and it started moving like crazy. I swear I've never seen it move like that!" 

He looks at me differently now, scared. A Somnium (a Latin word that means Illusion), is a magic precious rock shaped like a triangle. The base of the triangle is attached to a silver or golden chain. The Somnium is enchanted to detect supernatural creatures or a high level of magic. The object is also enchanted to ignore the presence of the person who is holding it, of course, or it would interfere with the detection. 

That means that someone is either practising powerful magic in this town, or there are supernatural creatures here. Either way, it can't be good. 

Then it hits me. My aunt told me to stay away from Renesmee, and she's barely dangerous at first sight. But her family... Her family seems different. 

I refuse to think about blaming the Cullens. They're good people if there was something majorly wrong with them I would've detected it ages ago! I would've seen the signs. I'm not an idiot. 

"I'll start paying extra attention," I say. "I'll protect myself, bring my Charms and Amulets to school, in my backpack. I'll try to be extra careful... But, do you have any idea of what kind of... Trouble, we might be facing?"

He shakes his head. "No. And neither does your Aunt. I should be going, but, don't forget: Extra careful." He says getting up.

I nod, not knowing if I should say anything else. 

I couldn't go back to sleep.   
I took a long shower to help clear my mind, but it didn't help much. There's just so much on my head now. The Play, Nessie and her perfect abilities, Alec, the Choreographies, Hell Week, Homework, Good Grades, Clubs, ... And the Dancing Competition. God, I forgot about that for a second! And now I have to worry about supernatural bitches walking around, nice. 

Because I woke up much earlier than I usually do, I decided to leave earlier too. I put my clothes on, hop on my motorcycle and drive to Starbucks, as I usually do.

When I arrive, though, the school is almost empty, which is not something I'm exactly used to. I text Lindsay to tell her I'll be at Dancing Room, and she's supposed to meet me there once she arrives, she texts me back saying 'k, on my way', and I make my way to the room. 

Unfortunately, I expected to be alone. But, as things don't seem to be quite like I wanted them to be today, the Cullens are happily chatting as I walk in. Or so they were before I opened the door. 

Edward looks at me with a weird expression, like he was expecting something to happen and it didn't, but Renesmee instantly gets up and walks to me, her face happy as she hugs me. "Congrats for the Costume thing, I got second! They hung our pictures next to the Trophies in the corridor." 

I smile, my heart sinking with the thought of Renesmee being evil. "I'm sure they did. We deserved it." 

"So, any plans for today?" She asks as I hang my backpack on the wall. 

"I need to discuss somethings with Lindsay about the Dancing Competition." I say. 

"Dancing Competition? Sounds exciting! Can I join in?" She asks. 

My first instinct is to say no. But then, I think of how Renesmee is just an excited little girl, who wants to be a part of the team and has no bad intentions whatsoever, and it warms my heart. "Sure, of course, you can."

She smiles and jumps in excitement, which makes me laugh. "So, how will this work?" 

"Easy. People will subscribe to the competition, and they'll have to make a Donation of an amount higher than $10 with the subscription. Then, in a month, we'll have the competition during the Hospital's Fundraiser, and people will have the opportunity to donate money to the Children's Institute as we dance. The best dancer will win a $1200 Gift Card to Forever 21."

"That's really cool!" Renesmee smiles. 

"Thank you, it's part of our Philanthropy Project. As Cheerleaders, we have a commitment to our community, so we try to help any way we can." I smile. "I'll set up a meeting with the Principal to make sure the Publicity of the Event is well-done. I want every soul in the town to join us. And maybe neighbour towns, who knows?"

"You're aiming big." Renesmee says. 

"I always do. Why do something if you're not gonna do it amazingly? I see all this as a rehearsal for College, you know? I'm obviously going to rush to a Sorority, and I want them to know that I always give the best of myself to my projects. If you're gonna do something, be the best. "

"You seem to have everything prepared for the future." 

I freeze for a second, then smile. "Yes, I do." 

"Annabelle?" A low voice calls my name. 

I turn around and see Alec, standing behind me in his perfection-ness. "Yes?' I ask.

"May I talk to you for a second? Outside, please." He asks.

I nod. "Sure, sure." I say, following him out of the room, my heart beating faster than it ever has.

"I cannot rehearse with you anymore." My smile falls. 

"W... Why? Is it something I've done?" I frown as my heartaches.

His jaw tightens. "That kiss thing... It was a mistake." 

I look down. "It wasn't that big of a deal, It didn't mea-"

"Annabelle, I don't fucking like you! Okay? I could never... I could never like someone like you! We're nothing, do you understand, not even friends!" He yells.

My heart sinks. 

I look shocked at my shoes as I start running, I don't even know where I'm going. 

Just like that, everything changed.


	9. Study Time

My weekend was boring. I spent most of it locked in my room studying or watching crappy romcoms on Netflix. 

Of course, Alec's words hurt me, and I'm pretty sure he knows it but doesn't care. His sister, Renesmee, must know it as well because she sent me tons of texts and called me about 10 times through the weekend until I told her I didn't really want to talk.

As a good friend, she gladly understood my wishes and stopped calling, texting and emailing me.

Lindsay, on the other hand, didn't give up so easily. She tried to persuade me to go shopping with her, for a party or something, and I declined it so many times that she changed the proposal to a nice trip to the froyo store that her aunt owns. I agreed to this one, but kept quiet most of the time, letting her do the talking and try to distract me from Alec or any of the Cullens.

It didn't work that well, but I didn't tell her that. 

Finally, when the sun shined on Monday morning, I was ready to start my journey to recovery. It might seem silly, but the fact that I couldn't take this boy that I met a week ago out of my head made me feel weak, vulnerable, childish. So I thought to myself, why would someone have this effect on me? I don't fall in love that easily, and I can definitely say that what I felt (actually, what I FEEL) for Alec wasn't love, so, why was it bothering me so much?

Maybe because, even though it wasn't love, it was a special connection. It was a safe place I could just drive to whenever I needed. Every fibre of my body told me I couldn't trust Alec, but my heart believed him. My heart knew he could be rough on the edges, but he was a good person. 

And that's what made me attach to him so easily. But it doesn't explain why I would get attached to him, and, honestly, and don't really wanna know.

As I walk out of the shower, I take a few minutes to look at myself in the mirror. A few pimples and blackheads cover my forehead, chin and cheeks, making my face look pinkish in various spots, thanks to my caramel skin, though, the pink blends well and doesn't look as ugly as it could, but, dear God, why do I look so ugly? I wash my face with cold water and try my best to cover the pinkish spots and the bags under my eyes, applying my makeup slowly and calmly so I won't fuck it up. 

After doing my makeup and carefully putting my clothes on, I prepare everything for my first AP History class and shove it into my backpack, grabbing it and rushing downstairs.

I take a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror, deciding to skip breakfast so that my skirt won't burst. A cheerleading captain must look good in front of everyone, even teachers and Seniors, especially the teachers who can write letters for college.

I decide to take the Porsche to school, so I could turn the radio on and act like my biggest problem is what song to listen to on my way to school. 

After a quick stop at Starbucks to buy a caramel macchiato, I wait about 10 minutes inside my car, finishing my drink before entering the school building.

It was cold in the hallways, as always, but I was determined to make the best of the situation and grabbed my books, deciding to stop for a bathroom break before going to AP History. 

There were two girls in the bathroom, freshmen; they waved shyly at me before starting to talk again. At one moment, one of them glances at me and compliments my clothes, before asking something in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, darling, I didn't hear you." I say, applying some lipstick. 

"Is it true that they're dating?" She asks. 

"Who?" I ask, bored. Gossip has never been one of my favourite things, but some rumours always end up in my ears. 

"Alec and Alicia." She says, her eyes sparkling.

I almost gag. My throat closes and my eyes seem like they're gonna roll up to the back of my skull. Alec would never date Alicia. I would know, I would've heard something. "I don't think so." I say with a sweet smile. "Why would you think that?" I ask casually.

"Well, after they slept together at Jenny Humphrey's party this weekend..." My blood freezes upon hearing those words, I try to keep my cool as my nails stab my hand. 

"She knows it, Courtney, everyone does. I mean, everyone saw them." The short blonde says.

I giggle. "Of course I know. But don't worry about it, you guys, it was... just a one-time thing. You know, as it always is with girls like Alicia." I immediately hate myself for saying this, but it felt so good, and even better when the two girls nodded, agreeing with me.

"I honestly think Alec deserves better, someone like you." Courtney, the brunette, says. 

"Thank you, darling. That's really nice of you to say. You guys should definitely try out for the team next year, I'll be waiting for ya. I gotta go now, I'm taking AP History as a part of my college curriculum. Bye." I say sweetly, waving as I try to walk out of the bathroom as quickly as possible. 

I feel like tears are about to stream out my eyes as I walk to AP History. Alec slept with Alicia. The girl who ruined my relationship and my self-esteem. The girl he disapproved of while we talked during Costume Day. He slept with her, just like every other boy I know. 

Guess that's his type of girl after all. 

I try to forget this as I knock on the door and carefully walk in, the class didn't start yet, Miss Crane was always late, but the students were already there. I waved at the people I knew. There was Jenny Humphrey, an amazing girl with a high sense of fashion that always asked me to try her newest creations; Michael Richard, a jock who is so nice I would've never believed he was a jock in the first place; Bethany, who is in my recycling club; and others.

I bite my lip as I see Jasper, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, sitting in pairs at the back of the glass. Of course, they would be here, but what annoys me the most is the fact that there are no seats left. That is, until my eyes stumble upon an empty seat, near the front. I start walking to it, but freeze when I see who's sitting on the seat next to me.   
Alec. Great. 

Miss Crane walks in, books pilled up on her hands as she takes her seat, her eyes falling on me. She smiles. "Great to see you, Annabelle. Please, take the seat next to Mister Cullen so we can start our class." 

Why did I chose AP History again?

**Author's Note:**

> Annabelle said: "The best trip I've taken in my life"


End file.
